August 6, 2020
New Mass. unemployment claims hit new low since crisis began
Photo | Grant Welker
The Wachusett Brew Yard at Worcester Public Market
Unemployment claims filed in Massachusetts last week hit a new low since the coronavirus pandemic began, providing a bright spot despite the state's highest-in-the-nation jobless rate.
New claims filed in the week ending Aug. 1 totaled 15,218, according to U.S. Department of Labor data released Thursday. That's down 23% from the week prior, and less than one-tenth the high-water mark in late March of 181,423 new claims in one week.
Still, the unemployment claims are multitudes higher than seen during a stronger economy. A year ago, 4,142 claims were filed in Massachusetts.
More than 1.1 million new claims have been filed across the state since mid-March, when pandemic-related closures were first put in place. The state had the nation's worst unemployment rate in June at 17.5%. The Worcester metropolitan area's unemployment rate is among the nation's worst at 15.8%.
Across the state, the industries that have been hardest hit during the pandemic have been food and accommodation (158,276 claims), health and social assistance (145,890) and retail (141,017).
Nationally, unemployment claims topped 1 million for the 20th straight week. New claims also hit a new low across the country last week, with 1,186,000. Roughly 56 million unemployment claims have been filed nationally since mid-March.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments